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The Secrets of Beauty Career Success

by Robyn Tellefsen

Looking toward professional advancement? Learn these secrets of beauty career success.

Good training This is the first and foremost component of beauty career success. The beauty training you receive will be the foundation upon which you build your entire career, so make sure to train with the best. One easy way to ensure the quality of your beauty training program is to make sure it's accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Currently, NACCAS accredits approximately 1,000 institutions, which serve over 100,000 students. These beauty schools offer more than 20 different courses and programs of study that fall under NACCAS' scope of accreditation.

Specializing Once you've mastered the basics, set yourself apart from your beauty career competition by specializing. If you're a nail technician, offer anti-aging treatments. If you're a makeup artist, acquire beauty training in the art of permanent makeup. If you're a hair stylist, become a professionally trained colorist. You want to be known as the go-to guy or gal for the latest, most cutting-edge technique your clients are seeking. With that kind of reputation, your beauty career will soar.

Branching out Your main job may be your bread and butter, but when you branch out into side jobs, you never know what kind of new beauty career doors you could be opening. Take the hair stylist who offers styling for brides, for example. She might start out by offering this service to her favorite clients on her days off, and soon find there's such a demand that bridal hair styling becomes her primary career focus. Maybe she'll even decide to get beauty training in makeup artistry so she can offer both services to her beautiful brides. In this way, the savvy professional becomes the master of her own beauty career.

Finding a mentor As much as you may want to do it all on your own, having friends in high places never hurts. Start your search for a mentor when you're in beauty school, where you'll have contact with countless professionals who can offer career advice and maybe even help you land your first job. Words of wisdom from someone who has been there can help you avoid career pitfalls and concentrate on building your brand.

Have you learned the secrets of beauty career success?

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